Carbon Knives
My first ever full carbon knife was a 210mm K-Sabatier chefs knife I ordered from amazon a couple of months back. It's a popular French brand that goes way back. Initially I wanted to try it before making a complete switch and put out serious $ on a really nice one. I had a 240mm Masamoto VG Gyuto back then and I loved everything about it. There was just something about carbon knives that I had to try out. I read somewhere that only by you using a carbon knife can you really say, "Now this is a knife." It's funny how an article at seriouseats made me actually look into using a carbon knife.
My K-Sabatier was a real beater. It didn't back out on anything to the point that I was constantly trying to find a way for it to surrender. I used it once on Comte cheese, used it a couple of times for parmesan blocks and it would still have its edge intact. I put it to work on my sharpening stones and the edge just gets back into proper shape fairly easy. So far so good.
After a few months, I came across the brand name Takeda. Shosui Takeda is a master blacksmith from Japan whose main focus is making kitchen knives out of Aogami Super (blue steel) hardened at around 62hrc. There's a lot of different kinds of steel in Japan and his steel supposedly provides the best edge retention out of any carbon steel available. I had my first Takeda knife as a birthday present and ooooh boy, it's a looker. Its sooo bad ass looking with the whole kurouchi finish on a very tall blade, I love it. It's a monstrous knife that surprisingly weights less than a lot of German knives out there. Fortunately, I was sent the type of knife that has a thinner blade road and perfect geometry overall. It cuts like a dream.
Since then, I have sold my stainless knives (only one I have now is the Takamura) and switched to carbon. They are extremely easy to sharpen and they take a sharper edge than their stainless counterparts. If you're using a german blade and make a switch, you will most definitely feel the difference just by holding one. They are generally lighter and more nimble to use, hence more delicate also.
These knives also develop a patina. Some people dislike this and would see it as something that is dirty or unsanitary. In Japan, sushi chefs clean their blades and take patinas away. For me it has become a thing of beauty. It isn't dirty. It's just the metal reacting to the food you're cutting. I especially like the blue patina on my knives. What you do is slice some protein with it constantly and it will naturally form a blue patina. I would use ribeye or tenderloin scraps from our grill station back in the day to put a blue patina on my Masamoto KS petty. It makes them really shine.
If you plan on making the switch, I suggest you borrow one first. See how you work with it. It needs more attention than any other tool you might have. If you leave it unattended and wet, it'll rust on you quickly. If you don't wipe it periodically it will hate you for it. I hope nobody sends their knives to the dish. If you're not using it for an extended amount of time, a fresh layer of tsubaki oil will protect it from rusting.
It's a tool worthy of care. It's a chore at times, I admit. But I guarantee you, It will make you a better cook. Some people say that it isn't about the knives you carry that make you a great cook or chef, it's about your skill, passion and dedication. This is true. But sometimes, you get a knife, a good one, and it makes you love it. It makes you practice more with it. It makes you work harder and lets you enjoy what you're doing. It makes you become more responsible and gives you enough reason to get out of your hangover and work another shift.
My K-Sabatier was a real beater. It didn't back out on anything to the point that I was constantly trying to find a way for it to surrender. I used it once on Comte cheese, used it a couple of times for parmesan blocks and it would still have its edge intact. I put it to work on my sharpening stones and the edge just gets back into proper shape fairly easy. So far so good.
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| Takeda 210mm |
Since then, I have sold my stainless knives (only one I have now is the Takamura) and switched to carbon. They are extremely easy to sharpen and they take a sharper edge than their stainless counterparts. If you're using a german blade and make a switch, you will most definitely feel the difference just by holding one. They are generally lighter and more nimble to use, hence more delicate also.
These knives also develop a patina. Some people dislike this and would see it as something that is dirty or unsanitary. In Japan, sushi chefs clean their blades and take patinas away. For me it has become a thing of beauty. It isn't dirty. It's just the metal reacting to the food you're cutting. I especially like the blue patina on my knives. What you do is slice some protein with it constantly and it will naturally form a blue patina. I would use ribeye or tenderloin scraps from our grill station back in the day to put a blue patina on my Masamoto KS petty. It makes them really shine.
If you plan on making the switch, I suggest you borrow one first. See how you work with it. It needs more attention than any other tool you might have. If you leave it unattended and wet, it'll rust on you quickly. If you don't wipe it periodically it will hate you for it. I hope nobody sends their knives to the dish. If you're not using it for an extended amount of time, a fresh layer of tsubaki oil will protect it from rusting.
It's a tool worthy of care. It's a chore at times, I admit. But I guarantee you, It will make you a better cook. Some people say that it isn't about the knives you carry that make you a great cook or chef, it's about your skill, passion and dedication. This is true. But sometimes, you get a knife, a good one, and it makes you love it. It makes you practice more with it. It makes you work harder and lets you enjoy what you're doing. It makes you become more responsible and gives you enough reason to get out of your hangover and work another shift.
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